Akita, March 6 (Jiji Press)—Residents of Akita Prefecture were alarmed by North Korea’s launches of ballistic missiles on Monday that fell into waters about 300 to 350 kilometers off the coast of the northeastern Japan prefecture.

Prefectural officials were busy in gathering information after they learned of the missile launches conducted around 7:34–7:36 a.m. (10:34–10:36 p.m. Sunday GMT).

The prefecture’s comprehensive disaster management division learned of the launches from television news shortly after 8 a.m., according to its officials.

The officials had no detailed information about the missiles until they received official information by fax from the internal affairs ministry’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency at 9:22 a.m.

The prefecture and the Japanese government are set to conduct a joint exercise in the city of Oga on March 17 for the evacuation of local residents from a possible ballistic missile from North Korea.